Thursday Dolphins Mailbag: Coaching Search, Lawsuit, Fan Pain, and More

Part 1 of the latest SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

From Reza Hariri (@Therealrezpect1):

Which head coach candidate will have best chance to succeed? I like McDaniel, unlike Daboll he didn’t have a top 5 QB. Also, what are your feelings on Flores? I thought he was a great defensive coach but communication & stubbornness kept him from being a great head coach.

Hey Reza, based on what I know of both coaches I think I might be more intrigued by McDaniel and maybe it’s just because he’s spent a lot of time with Kyle Shanahan, who generally is praised for his offensive mind. But both and Moore are described as super bright guys. As for Flores, I agree with you that he’s a great defensive coach and he did a great job of getting his team to always play hard (even when they were 0-7 in 2021, even they have very little talent in 2019). But it’s hard to get around the fact that he had a hard time assembling and keeping together a staff, as evidenced by the large number of assistants who were first-time coaches at their position in the NFL.

From RICHARD J. LEONARD (@SLICK6971):

Do you feel the HC position, or any other coaching job, is less attractive? What about FA possibilities?

Hey Richard, I don’t think there’s any question the Dolphins HC position is less desirable after the lawsuit and the allegations contained in it. There’s no question about that. There’s going to be a cloud over the Dolphins franchise until this thing is settled, and who knows how long that might take. As for FA possibilities, I’d certainly look toward the O-line and maybe finding a bargain at cornerback if the team is planning on trading Xavien Howard in the offseason because of his contract. As for specific free agents, gotta see who becomes available and who gets re-signed. For example, I’d love Orlando Brown Jr., but I don’t see him leaving K.C.

From Adnas (@Anase815):

Will this lawsuit hinder the chances of getting Mike McDaniel?

Hey Adnas, that’s a very good question and I wish I could tell you with certainty that it won’t, but I can’t. And the thing is that both McDaniel and Moore are ascending coaches who don’t need to take this Dolphins job right now or risk getting stuck as assistants forever. So it could be that one or both eventually backs away because of the circumstances.

From Jorge boyd (@raga1922):

Hi Alain if anything happens against the Dolphins, will the NFL act before this draft or will they take next year’s draft picks away?

Hey Jorge, I would think that it’s going to be a while before anything related to this lawsuit is settled, so I certainly don’t expect anything to affect the Dolphins’ 2022 draft picks from that standpoint.

From Chad Kowaleski (@KowaleskiChad):

Why has 99.9% of the media (including the Dolphins beat) been willing to ignore the 22 accusations against Watson, but instantly give attention/credibility to Flores?

Hey Chad, not quite sure the two are exactly the same. And I also don’t think the media is willing to “ignore” the accusations against Watson, but if his legal situation and playing status are settled, I’m not getting into the game of passing judgment and debating the morality of having a player with a questionable background for the simple reason that the NFL already has its share of players — star players — with bad incidents in their past. And it’s also how the league operates. I’m looking from the standpoint of what adding Watson could do for the Dolphins offense if he’s cleared to play and his legal issues are over, and what he could do is make the team contenders pretty quickly.

From Dug-E-Fresssh (@fluflu3):

There's a Monty Python skit where people are competing for whose life was worse. One recounted he had to get up each morning, an hour before he went to bed, & licked the road clean with his tongue! Do Fins fans now really have "the worst life" or are we just exaggerating?

Hey Dug, as I responded on Twitter, it’s like the scene in “Notting Hill” where the group having dinner has to prove he/she has the worst life to earn the last brownie. Truth is, with no playoff win since 2000, only two players appearances since 2001 and some high-profile off-the-field scandals, Dolphins fans have had it pretty rough for a while. But the worst? I think Lions fans might have something to say about that.

From Phinaholic (@dana_buice):

Hey my friend, 0-100 what are the chances this Brian Flores scandal leads to Ross selling the team? If McDaniel shows up for the interview, do you think that likely means he would take the job? Or is there still a reasonable chance he would turn it down?

Hey Dana, first off, we’re a long way from any kind of punishment being handed down in the wake of Flores’ allegations and nothing will happen unless he has concrete evidence (text, email). If such evidence exists, it’s tough to see the NFL being OK with an owner striking at the very fabric of competition and attack the integrity of the game like that. But I wouldn’t want to put a percentage on it. As for McDaniel, no, I don’t think him showing up for an interview automatically means he’ll take the job if offered. I’d assume he’s going to have some questions that he’s going to want answered by the Dolphins.

From Alex Greenberg (@AlexG1348):

Knowing that we’re now picking at #28, would you be more willing to trade the pick for a proven RB (McCaffrey or Kamara) or OT if one became available on the market?

Hi Alex, it’s actually pick 29 (KC has 30, Super Bowl loser will get 31 and Super Bowl winner will get 32) and it’s a very good question. I wouldn’t trade for McCaffrey because his injury history scares me and I’d go for Kamara depending on what else it would take to get him. If all it takes is that pick, then I make the trade in a heartbeat. If the price is prohibitive, then I pivot and make the trade for the tackle, but those guys rarely gets traded.